Overbite Treatment in Las Vegas & Henderson
Almost everyone has some overbite. The question is how much, and whether yours is doing damage.
What an overbite actually is
An overbite is the vertical overlap of your upper front teeth over your lower front teeth when you bite together. A small amount is normal and desirable — roughly one to three millimetres, or about a fifth of the lower tooth being covered.
It becomes a problem when the overlap is excessive, which orthodontists call a deep bite. In pronounced cases the lower front teeth disappear entirely behind the uppers, and sometimes bite into the gum tissue behind them.
Worth clearing up straight away: overbite is not the same as overjet, though the words are used interchangeably by almost everyone. Overbite is vertical — how far down the uppers come. Overjet is horizontal — how far forward they stick out. Teeth that visibly protrude are overjet. More on overjet.
Where a deep bite comes from
Jaw proportion
The most common driver is skeletal: the lower jaw is shorter relative to the upper, so the front teeth overlap more than they should. This is largely inherited and shows up during growth.
Missing or worn back teeth
Your back teeth act as vertical stops. Lose them, or wear them down, and the bite collapses further closed at the front.
Years of grinding
Bruxism wears the back teeth down over time, which deepens the front overlap gradually. Often the deep bite and the grinding arrive together.
Nail biting and object chewing
Persistent habits involving the front teeth can contribute to the way the bite settles during growth.
Untreated childhood crowding
Where teeth erupt without enough room, the arch can develop in a way that deepens the front overlap.
Relapse after earlier treatment
Deep bites have a genuine tendency to return if retention stops. It is one of the more relapse-prone bite patterns.
Why a deep overbite is worth correcting
Wear on the front teeth
Upper and lower incisors grinding against each other at a steep angle wear the enamel edges flat. That damage is permanent.
Trauma to the palate
In severe cases the lower incisors contact the gum tissue behind the upper front teeth, which can cause recession and soreness.
Gum recession on the lowers
The upper teeth press on the gum around the lower incisors, which over years contributes to recession and exposed roots.
Jaw muscle strain
A bite that closes too far can load the jaw joint and muscles differently, which some patients feel as tension or fatigue.
Restorative work becomes harder
If you later need crowns or veneers on the front teeth, a deep bite leaves little vertical room to place them properly.
How overbite is corrected
What is achievable depends heavily on whether growth is still available. This is why the timing of an evaluation matters.
In children
Growth is on your side. Where the deep bite is skeletal, we can guide how the jaws develop during the growth years using functional appliances, often achieving results that would need surgery in an adult. This is one of the clearest arguments for an evaluation by age seven.
In teenagers
Comprehensive braces with bite-opening mechanics, sometimes combined with elastics or a Herbst-type appliance where the lower jaw needs encouraging forward. Growth is usually still available, which widens what is achievable.
In adults
Braces or aligners can correct mild to moderate deep bites by intruding the front teeth or erupting the back ones. Severe skeletal deep bites in a fully grown adult sometimes need orthognathic surgery alongside orthodontics, and Dr. Beth will tell you plainly if that is your situation and refer accordingly.
Overbite FAQ
What is the difference between an overbite and an overjet?
Overbite is vertical — how far your upper front teeth come down over the lowers. Overjet is horizontal — how far forward they stick out. Teeth that visibly protrude are overjet, even though most people call them an overbite. You can have one, the other, or both.
Is a small overbite normal?
Yes. Roughly one to three millimetres of vertical overlap is normal and desirable. Treatment is about excessive overlap causing wear, tissue trauma or recession, not about eliminating overlap altogether.
Can Invisalign fix an overbite?
Mild to moderate deep bites, often yes. Severe deep bites and skeletal cases are generally handled better with fixed braces, which allow more precise vertical control and the use of auxiliaries. A 3D scan at your consultation determines which category yours falls into.
Does an overbite have to be treated?
Not always. A mild overbite causing no wear, no tissue trauma and no functional problem can reasonably be left alone. Where the lower incisors are contacting gum tissue or the front teeth are visibly wearing, treatment prevents damage you cannot reverse.
How long does overbite treatment take?
Typically eighteen to twenty-four months with braces. Milder cases treated with aligners can finish sooner. Skeletal cases involving growth guidance in children may run as two phases across several years.
Can an overbite come back after treatment?
Deep bites are among the more relapse-prone patterns, which makes retention especially important. Nightly retainer wear indefinitely is the answer, and we will be direct with you about it.
Do I need surgery for my overbite?
Most people do not. Surgery is considered only for severe skeletal discrepancies in patients who have finished growing. Dr. Beth assesses this from your 3D scan and will refer you to an oral surgeon for a joint opinion if it is warranted.
Find out what is actually going on — free.
An hour with Dr. Beth, a 3D scan, and a straight answer about whether treatment is warranted, when, and what it would cost. Including “not yet” where that is the honest answer.